Letters To The Editor

Wed., June 10, 1998

HEALTH

Needs, not wants, should be covered

I agree with the letter by Bruce G. Hopkins, M.D., in part only (“Contraception cost should be covered,” June 2).

If insurance companies are paying for Viagra for men no matter what their age, then they should pay for contraceptives for married women in their reproductive years. If single women want to sleep around they should pay for their own contraceptives.

Sex is a want, not a need. We are not entitled to everything we want, only what we need.

As for the men, can’t you just see them, in their 90s and in their dotage having fantasies about becoming clones of Priapas?

Lord preserve us. Mary Imhoff Spokane

Epidurals carry real risks

Re: “The epidural option,” you might want to recant the quote referring to epidurals as “safe for mother and baby.” Here’s what they don’t tell you about epidurals.

During a woman’s labor, she will be restricted to bed with an IV, electronic fetal monitor belt and bladder catheterization. She will have an increased likelihood for induction (epidurals can stall labor) and internal monitoring (a monitor that is screwed into the baby’s scalp), use of forceps or vacuum extractor, episiotomy and C-section.

Short-term problems can include hypotension, nausea, vomiting, incomplete or non-existent pain relief, respiratory insufficiency or paralysis, convulsions, toxic reactions, headache, septic meningitis, allergic shock, cardiac arrest and death.

Long-term effects can include backache for weeks to years, feelings of regret and loss, fecal and urinary incontinence, loss of perianal sensation and sexual function.

For the baby, the effects can be direct drug toxicity, fetal distress, abnormal fetal heart rate, drowsiness at birth (which can lead to poor sucking reflex and problems with breastfeeding), fever from impeded thermoregulation from the mothers numb skin, which can lead to NICU workup (spinal tap, antibiotics), jaundice and decreased maternal-infant bonding.

It’s a shame many women are unaware of the very real risk epidurals carry. There are countless alternative safe methods of pain relief during labor. The use of a Doula (a woman who offers emotional and physical support) reduces the request for epidurals by 60 percent.

Women need to make educated choices for their childbirth experience to help ensure the physical and emotional health of their babies and themselves. Jenine S. Martin Coeur d’Alene

Three cheers for Tom Zeller

In this day and age when it’s becoming harder to find passion in our professions, I want to give three cheers for Tom Zeller’s response on the May 21 article on cancer centers in Spokane.

My grandmother, father and sister all died of cancer, and I’ve seen many changes occur in cancer care since my grandmother’s death in the 1960s. I’m grateful that the hospital administrators would not allow Physician Reliance Network (PRN) to “assume control” of a combined cancer center. My sister was treated by one of the physicians groups involved in the negotiations and at Deaconess Medical Center. I know my family would agree that the quality of care she received at Deaconess was because she was treated as a person of dignity and not a customer.

My concern with combining a “for profit” (PRN) and a “not for profit” (hospital) is, what happens to the indigent patient, the person with no insurance? In Dallas, where PRN is located, and in Spokane those patients are not treated at PRN. They end up being treated at the not-for-profit hospitals. It’s sad to see so many small not-for-profit hospitals, which continue to feel ethically responsible to treat the uninsured, closing because they cannot survive financially. Meanwhile, the for-profits, like PRN, come into our community and divide the patients, splitting the revenues that are needed to keep our community hospitals vital.

Three cheers for Zeller for fighting to sustain the passion, for it is that passion that guarantees quality of care and caring at our local community hospitals. Christine A. Larson Spokane

SPOKANE ISSUES

Saving river not that radical

A recent letter to the editor misidentified our organization, Friends of the Falls, as being actively opposed to the proposed Spokane Club parking garage. This is not the case. Presumably the author, Chris Kopczynski of KOP Construction, has us confused with a completely different group, the Neighbors of the Spokane Falls and Rapids.

For the record, Friends of the Falls is a public benefit organization formed for the purposes of preserving the scenic beauty and the historic significance of the lower Spokane falls. Our goal is to promote the development of a national monument, recreation area, historic landscape, or other protective designation for the falls and gorge area.

This isn’t a new idea; it was first envisioned in 1907 by the Olmsted brothers of the famous landscape architecture firm that created New York Central Park, our own Manito Park and hundreds of our country’s best urban landscapes. In the late 1960s King Cole proposed a national monument for the lower falls, and in turn helped bring about Expo ‘74 and Riverfront Park.

Our Spokane River and falls are priceless. Natives knew this; the Olmsteds told us this; our World’s Fair demonstrated this. While Friends of the Falls’ primary interest is confined to the lower falls, we do believe that all riverfront development in our city should be suited and commensurate with the priceless value of our scenic Spokane River. The City Shoreline Master Program and the State Shoreline Management Act Act promote nothing more radical than that. Richard B. Hastings, chairman Friends of the Falls, Spokane

Red means stop, even in Spokane

Running red lights has become quite popular in Spokane. Unfortunately, STA drivers seem to agree. Every weekday (when I am at work downtown) I witness several STA buses plowing right on through red lights.

It’s scary enough watching out for the hundreds of cars running red lights. Even more terrifying is the chance that you could also be hit by a city bus, which of course would considerably lower one’s chance of survival.

Hey, Spokane, red means stop! Mildred J. Kinter Spokane

What next? Save Our Winters?

The residents of Spokane and Coeur d’Alene have turned their backs on the Inland Empire grass growers. By allowing the group Save Our Summers, led by Trisha Hoffman, to effectively shut down their burning practices, you can now breathe even easier knowing that this same group is going after farmers who burn wheat stubble. With so little local support shown for agriculture, which is largely responsible for the prosperity of the region, this war on stubble burning should take no time at all to win.

So after this probable victory, what will be left for this group to attack?

Well, Spokane and Coeur d’Alene, your winter wood burning practices will be next. Hoffman will probably form a new group - Save Our Winters.

So when you are putting extra blankets on this winter because you can’t stoke up that wood stove, go outside and take a deep breath of that fresh, clean air and know that you, too, have contributed to cleaning the environment and your wallet.

In short, if you can’t clean up your own back yard, don’t mess with your neighbors’! Robert B. Krause Creston, Wash.

GOVERNMENT/POLITICS

Veterans funds should go to vets

I didn’t give it much thought when a few years ago they completed a bridge on Interstate 90 around Coeur d’Alene Lake and then they named it the Veterans Centennial Bridge. I wondered why, since the bridge was necessary and had nothing to do with veterans.

Reading about the new highway (pork) bill soon to be passed sheds some light on the political thinking. They intend to finance part of this bill with funds that were to go to disabled veterans. Like the new road around Sandpoint (Highway 95) that will cost millions of veterans dollars. Maybe they will name it the Veterans Bypass! It would be hard to find a name more descriptive.

Shame on any city or state that uses these funds.

Like the recent French truckers’ strike, every veteran, disabled or not, should park their trucks, campers and wheelchairs on every major highway in this country until this bill is changed. Raymond E. Dose Pinehurst, Idaho

Take it while you can get it

I am on Social Security disability. When I was offered Medicare Part A, I declined it because I had coverage elsewhere. Now that I need it, I have to wait a year to get enrolled, plus I will be penalized for not taking it when first offered, which means it will cost me more. Raymond G. Howard Spokane

Change is slow, but it’s happening

Michael Fagan (Letters, June 3) suggesting that I ride off into the sunset because state government is too big and taxes are too high couldn’t be more ironic. Since becoming the Senate budget chairman two years ago, taxes in this state have been reduced by more than $1 billion. Since 1995, taxes have been reduced over $1.7 billion. The budget I wrote as chairman was the first one passed on time in 45 years and had the slowest growth in spending in 25 years. It also resulted in an $800 million reserve. This was done in spite of the governor’s veto and over the objections of many of my opponents’ supporters.

We have managed to cut government spending and at the same time focus on providing needed services in a more effective manner. We dramatically reformed welfare, saving taxpayers money but more importantly ending the trap of dependency. We increased university enrollments, creating opportunity for the future. We invested an additional $300-plus million in K-12, directing more money into the classroom and for specific reading programs.

Yes, the budget has grown too fast in the past, and yes government has wasted millions, but under my chairmanship we have started down the right track. I, too, am frustrated at the slow pace of change, but now is not the time to turn back. It is instead time to continue forward and put in place those changes which will ensure a positive future for our state and our children. We’ve only just begun. Sen. James E. West Spokane

Campaign finance reform needed

It’s too bad Reps. Helen Chenoweth and George Nethercutt don’t seem to grasp how desperately the country needs campaign finance reform.

Recent revelations about that missile technology transfer to China should be everybody’s wake-up call. How is it possible for politicians to trade sensitive material like this for campaign money? This is just not acceptable.

Shame on Bill Clinton for making the transfer. Shame on the Republicans who urged him to do it. And shame on the rest, for failing to put an end to this corrupt system of bribes and favors.

I personally don’t think any of the three proposals outlined in the May 31 Spokesman-Review go far enough. We won’t see the end of things like this China business until we go to public campaign financing.

“We the people” aren’t going to get our government back until we the people become the only ones paying these scoundrels. Tom J. Osowski Rathdrum, Idaho

ENVIRONMENT

Reporter’s mining article misleading

I was shocked and disappointed with Dan Hansen’s story reporting wide support for Asarco’s proposed Rock Creek Mine. Hansen’s article is based on the misleading and inaccurate comments of a Forest Service geologist, Rich Stearns, who failed to report the true breakdown of comments. This has hastened to undermine the entire comment process and has confused the public.

The most blatant error is that 80 percent of the comments were in favor of the mine. Where did Stearns get that figure? Do you really believe that residents of North Idaho and Montana want three million gallons of mining wastewater per day flowing into the Clark Fork River and Lake Pend Oreille?

The Forest Service claims not to tabulate comments as “for” or “against” a project, and that it hadn’t analyzed all the letters. How then can Stearns say that 80 percent of the comments were in favor of the mine? Is the Forest Service using any criteria at all for evaluating comments?

This issue not only casts doubt on the manner in which public participation is encouraged and used by the agency, but more importantly, it confuses and misleads the people to believe that North Idaho and Montana residents want their water and land polluted by Asarco, the corporation that is involved in 21 contaminated Superfund sites. Lupito Flores Moscow, Idaho

IN THE PAPER

Right guy, wrong motorcycle

The article on “Hog heaven” (IN Life, June 2) is well done, but not quite accurate.

I do admire the artwork of staff illustrator Bridget Sawicki, however the motorcycle that Marlon Brando is leaning on is from the 1950s movie, “The Wild One,” and is a Triumph Bonneville 650CC, made in England. It has nothing to do with Harley-Davidsons or Milwaukee or the United States.

Might as well have the facts straight. Gene Moore Colbert

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